Sometimes people ask me what I mean by “transforming” challenging behavior.
To learn about the meaning you’re going to have to wait and then read next week’s blog post.
First, I want to tell you how the concept/name “Transform Challenging Behavior” was born...
In 2014 I quit my job after 8 years of being a early childhood professor.
(Part of that time I was also the director of a campus-based early childhood center and before that I was a special ed preschool teacher and before that I was a preschool teacher. I started in the field in 1993. But this is not my bio! It's the story of the birth of TCB, Inc. so back to it we shall go…)
I set out on my own as a trainer, consultant and coach.
The main way I found prospective clients in those early days - besides a few referrals and colleagues who hired me for various projects - was to present at early childhood conferences.
State conferences, regional conferences, national conferences, you name it - I was there!
I presented the best possible information I could on challenging behavior and occasionally or at the end I mentioned that I led expanded versions of the presentation as a day-long or 3-day training, also did coaching, etc… [PRO TIP: highly effective! FYI if you're looking to do this].
I was doing this present-and-mention-I’m-available-to-hire thing for just a few months while submitting a proposal to present at the California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC conference) a funny thing happened…
The website showed me what info I was entering would look on my conference name tag…
Barb O’Neill, Ed.D.
Consultant
Barb O’Neill Consulting
Which is obviously a ridiculous waste of name tag real estate!
Three words and they’re all used twice. Which just seemed…um…no, just no.
So I sat at my kitchen table, staring at my laptop and pondered how to be less repetitive…
I quickly realized: DUH - the words “challenging behavior” should be on my name tag!
That would be a good conversation starter.
Hm…It can't just be “Challenging Behavior”...“Challenging Behavior Consultant” also has a repetition problem…“Prevent Challenging Behavior” is sort of taken…not a lot of space…
TRANSFORM!
Boom. It just came to me. The words felt like they dropped from the sky…or swept through me or something. I typed it. Saw my new name tag:
Barb O’Neill, Ed.D.
Consultant and Trainer
Transform Challenging Behavior
It instantly felt perfect and right.
Well, if I’m honest, cognitively I felt slightly worried it was a little weird and possibly too abstract…but I trusted my gut because my body said YES, that’s it! Take a risk. Go with it.
So, I did. And here we are.
Transforming challenging behavior together.
But what does that really MEAN? Next week. Promise.
In the meantime, let me know: what does transforming challenging behavior mean to you?
Let me know in the COMMENTS below. #nowronganswers
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